News
Nigeria drifting, stand up and fight now or perish, NLC tells Nigerians
“It is our collective responsibility to defend and safeguard our nation. This requires an unwavering commitment to the primacy of the constitution and the fundamental principles of democracy. We must critically examine and challenge all forces and actions that weaken democratic institutions and erode the sovereignty of the people.”
These were the exact words of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), with which he tried to rouse Nigerians to action against what he considered the excesses of the government of the day, which are not only inimical to democracy, but daily put the country on the dangerous path.
At the sixth Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), during the weekend, Ajaero warned workers against believing that the current struggles in the country were about labour issues alone, urging Nigerians to critically examine and challenge all forces and actions that weaken democratic institutions and erode the sovereignty of the people.
Hear him: “We must also resist the attempt to tax the Nigerian people to death. It is a struggle for the soul of Nigeria, a struggle to build a nation where the rights of workers are respected, where labour is justly rewarded, and where the welfare of every citizen is prioritised.
“We must also confront the harsh realities of our time. The increasing penchant of the government to renege on agreements reached with the trade union movement is a cause for grave concern.
“We have seen this in the arbitrary increases in telecom tariffs, the unjust hikes in electricity tariffs, and the refusal to engage in meaningful social dialogue. These actions are not just attacks on workers; they are attacks on the very fabric of our society.
“The government and its agencies have abdicated their regulatory responsibilities, choosing instead to side with the bosses and the forces of capital. This is unacceptable, and we must brace ourselves for a struggle to rein in these excesses.
“We must also resist the attempt to tax the Nigerian people to death. At a time the national minimum wage is not being implemented appropriately, and federal civil servants are having their salaries arbitrarily reduced without recourse to negotiation, we cannot remain silent.
“These actions are not just unjust; they are a betrayal of the social contract between the government and the people. That is why we must continue talking so that the eyes of those who occupy various corridors of power will be open while in office, so they will see that when workers are paid appropriate wages, the economy benefits and the nation grows and not when they leave office.
‘’It is our collective responsibility to fight these ills and to ensure that the rights of Nigerian workers are protected. As patriots, we must resist the concentration of power in the hands of a few and the systematic subversion of constitutional order by those entrusted with governance. The democratic space must not be surrendered to authoritarian impulses, and accountability in governance can only be achieved through active and organized vigilance.”
‘’Trade unions and other progressive forces must continue to serve as the voice of the people, ensuring that those in positions of public trust are held to account.
“The NLC calls on all public officeholders to uphold their mandate with integrity and refrain from actions that betray the collective will of the Nigerian people. Dictatorship in any form is unacceptable.
“We demand that political actors operate within the democratic framework, respecting constitutional limits and prioritizing the interests of the working class and the masses. It is only through such principled governance that our nation can be steered away from crisis and placed on the path of justice, equality and true democracy.”
Addressing the outgoing leadership under Prince Adewale Adeyanju who incidentally is a deputy President of NLC, Ajaero said: “The achievements of the outgoing leadership are a testament to what is possible when we stand together in solidarity.
‘’MWUN has been at the forefront of the struggle for workers’ rights in the maritime sector, a sector that remains the lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy. From the docks to the high seas, your union has fought tirelessly to ensure that the rights and welfare of maritime workers are protected.
“You have stood firm against exploitation, injustice, and the forces of capital that seek to undermine the dignity of labour. Your victories are not just your own, they are victories for the entire working class in Nigeria and much more, they are victories for the Nigeria Labour Congress.”
Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor of Oyo State, on Thursday, finally threw his hats into the ring by declaring his intention to run for president in 2027, with a message – history beckons.
The governor, whose ambition has been a matter of speculations for months now and who had teamed up with forces angling to force President Bola Tinubu, out of power, told a teeming crowd in Ibadan on Thursday that time had come to reset Nigeria.
At a mega-rally to announce the alliance between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Allied Peoples’ Movement, (APM), Makinde, expressed worry over the dwindling fortunes of Nigerians, vowing to engage Nigerians to end the drift.
Hear him: “Without a multi-party system, there is no democracy. Where is our multi-party? Where do we go from here? We have been pushed to the wall.
“They calculated and self-opposition cannot unite but I am here to say that the opposition is the everyday Nigerian. This is the time for all us to ensure Nigeria works for us. This is the time to confront it fears. It is time to engage as citizens and not spectators.
“For the opposition political parties, this is the time to unite and work in unity and give our nation the much reset it needs. The time to reset Nigeria is now. Ibadan is the city of warriors. The first grand alliance is formed. The PDP and APM is formed. This handshake will allow us to field candidates from presidency to state Assembly. And so, I declare my candidacy for office of the president of Nigeria.”
Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), on Wednesday, gave a detailed account on how operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) manhandled him on Monday.
He told reporters that he was at sea on why he should fall victim to the assault against his person and eventually arrested given that was not right person directly involved in the information the agency sought.
Some operatives of the EFCC who invaded the hospital, had whisked Ekpe away after firing teargas to scare away the workers, patients and visitors to the hospital, following what appeared like a fracas the ensued over what it claimed was a routine duty in the facility.
Ekpe, Deputy Chairman of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), described how an operative had first entered his office to make inquiries on why the hospital was yet to give a response to an EFCC inquiry over a medical report linked to a suspect facing trial.
He detailed how he briefed the operative that the said response was being prepared and even went ahead to show him the draft of a letter in that regard, which needed to go through the gamut of official endorsement before being released.
Hear him: “The head of that internal medicine department looked at the report and also discovered that the name of the doctor that signed the report is not a member of staff of that department.
“I had prepared prepared a response to the EFCC on Monday, May 11, 2026, based on the findings. When the EFCC operative visited my office the next morning to collect the document, I told him that the response was ready in draft. I even showed him the draft, but told him that the document still needed approval from the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital before it could be officially signed and released.
“He pretended to have accepted that. He left, but later later returned with another armed operative and informed me that I was under arrest. I asked him why. I was not the one that issued the medical report. My name is not on the medical report. The report was not issued from my unit.
“But he said I would get the answer when I get to their office. I then asked him to at least wait for my staff member who I sent on an errand before joining them. But they refused.
“They started pushing me. They dragged me out of the office. Then I began to cry while they were dragging me. They had warned me not to speak. They had taken my phone. My cry as they were dragging me, attracted the workers to the scene, who enquired what was going on, but because they ordered me not to speak, I couldn’t say anything. They had their guns.
The members of staff of the hospital initially blocked them from taking me away. They then made a call. After that I saw many masked and armed men came violently, broke the protector, threatening the people that were around and people ran away.
“They picked some staff that were still by me. they dragged me and other staff, five of us into their van downstairs. By that time they discovered that the gate of the hospital were locked. So, they drove towards the gate and packed and the commotion continued. We were inside the van.
“I was so emotionally and psychologically traumatised that I couldn’t even look out of the vehicle to see what was happening outside. But I know that teargas and live bullets were shot. That’s all I can say for now.”
Joyce Abdulmalik, of the Federal High Court, Abuja, heard on Wednesday, how Zenith Bank raised alarm over the huge transaction in one of its branches by Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF-MoJ).
The bank said it immediately filed a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) in respect to the transactions, during its appearance in the ongoing trial of Malami, his wife, and son over allegation of massive looting of funds belonging to the Federal Government during his tenure.
Mashelia Bata, a compliance officer with the bank, who appeared as witness in the case, where Malami, et al, are facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion, to which they pleaded not guilty, gave the testimony while being questioned on the bank’s roles in the matter.
Details of the testimony conveyed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stated how the compliance officer who was cross-examined by Adebayo Adedeji, lawyer to the defendants admitted that the deposits in the account statements complied with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Arguments had stretched when Adedeji, opposed Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), lawyer to the EFCC, who had asked the witness to explain the meaning of a suspicious transaction report, stressing that there was no ambiguity in the term.
However, Okutepa, in response, maintained that section 215(3) of the Evidence Act did not preclude him from re-examining the witness while urging the court to allow the question for proper explanation.
After Abdulmalik, agreed and overruled Adedeji, the witness told the court that banks were required to alert the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) about fund deposits coming in a repetitive pattern, adding: “Any deposition of funds seen in a pattern or repetitive, you must escalate it to the NFIU.”
-
Columns4 weeks agoAbike Dabiri: Did Obi raise a monster or you’re drunk on Tinubu’s poisoned chalice?
-
News3 weeks agoJandor: Tinubu didn’t endorses Hamzat *I’ve briefed President on my ambition
-
Columns4 weeks agoBe the hero that saved Nigeria! Open letter to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
-
News2 weeks agoBREAKING: Makinde, Turaki, lose! *S’Court affirms Wike’s PDP leadership
-
Columns4 weeks agoNow VDM has become Sowore’s nemesis, does Peter Obi need anther advocate?
-
Features2 weeks agoJim Nwobodo: The Sun shines, thrills, at ‘The Vanguard Awards’
-
News1 day agoTinubu to African leaders: Copy Nigeria, produce your way out of poverty
-
News3 weeks agoADC: Fight, scatter them! *Presidency goads Kogi lawmaker on Mark’s leadership